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Roseline and Rahatani were sitting at the kitchen table eating toast and drinking coffee while Nyoko was enjoying a bowl of cereal.

Lee came downstairs, but he seemed... different. His long, crimson hair seemed to be a darker shade of red and his once-bright-green eyes were now a dark shade of onyx. His entire countenance seemed to have darkened overnight; Roseline glanced to Raha, who was staring at Lee with a mixture of worry and wariness. No one was entirely sure of what had happened, but it could not have been anything positive.

Nyoko spoke first with a slightly-trembling voice, trying to brighten him by plastering on one of her infectious smiles. “Hey, Lee? Do you want some breakfast? We’ve got a new box of cereal,” she said as she pointed to the box that was sitting next to her.

Lee waved his hand, a thermos came out of the cupboard, the coffee pot began to fill the thermos, and the sugar began to mix itself. He then turned to Nyoko and spoke coldly, “I don’t want any cereal.” Nyoko shuddered as Lee grabbed his thermos and left. All three girls exchanged worried glances as they watched him leave the kitchen, heard his boot-steps echo in the front hallway, and flinched as he opened, then slammed the front door shut.

“Lee seems so... different,” Roseline said as she heard his motorcycle leave the house.

Rahatani shrugged as she stirred her cup of tea, drawing the dregs into the hot liquid. "Maybe he's just in a bad mood."

“That’s not Lee,” Nyoko said softly with a look of fright on her face. She continued to speak with the same look on her face as Roseline and Rahatani glanced at her. “That’s not my brother. That’s…. someone else,” she said as she began to stir her cereal with her spoon.

Rahatani finished her toast and gave Nyoko a quick hug. “I’ll keep an eye on him Nyoko,” Raha said as she let go of her sister and turned to leave.

Nyoko grabbed Rahatani’s sleeve and softly said, “Please do, Raha. Don’t let him stay the way he is... I miss already... miss him already...”

Raha nodded in response and left the house.

*****************

Sakura was at her locker and her mind was elsewhere. “I should apologize to Lee. I was afraid and I didn’t know what to do. He must be in so much pain right now,” she thought. As she was walking down the hallway, Lee went past her and towards his own locker. She followed him and stood next to him as he messed with his books.

“Hey Lee. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry and that I---,” Sakura began to say.

Lee interrupted coldly, “Don’t give me that bullshit. If you’re expecting my forgiveness, than you’ll be waiting for a hell of a long time.” He slammed the locker and walked away.

Sakura stood there watching Lee walk away.

“He seems different, doesn’t he?” said a calm voice.

Sakura looked up to see Rahatani, not knowing who she was. She nodded and said with concern, “Yeah. He is.”

*****************

Roseline eyed at the door to Lee’s bedroom. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. “Lee? Can I come in?” Roseline asked. The doorknob turned, the door opened, and Roseline stepped in. Lee was standing at the window and looking out to the outside world.

Lee spoke with a dark voice. “Do you remember when we first met?”

Roseline nodded and spoke, “Of course. You were still a baby and ---”

Lee turned around and interrupted with a sense of lust in his eyes, “No Roseline. I don’t mean the day you met Lee. I meant the day you met me.” Lee stepped forward, lust burning in his grey eyes.

As soon as he was within arms’ reach of Roseline, he clutched his head and turned around. His voice was calm and soothing, “Mom, please leave.”

Roseline was confused, but nodded and left.

Lee let go of his head and punched the wall.

“The boy is regaining control,” a dark being from within Lee’s soul thought. He just smirked and looked in the mirror. “He seems more like me than I thought,” the dark being said as he regained control of Lee.

******************

Roseline went downstairs after leaving Lee’s room with a look of both fear and confusion on her face. She went into the kitchen where Rahatani and Nyoko were sitting at the table playing a game of dominoes.

Roseline sat at the head of the table and Nyoko looked at her asking, “Are you okay mom?” Roseline smiled weakly and softly spoke, “I think I am, but something is wrong.”

Rahatani glanced at her mother and then to Nyoko. She noticed that Nyoko had a thought, but did not mention it. Nyoko reached out, took Roseline’s hand, and soothingly said, “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m sure Lee will be back to his old self soon.”

Roseline smiled and nodded, thinking to herself, What if that was him? Is he really inside Lee? Roseline gently placed a hand over her abdomen as this thought ran through her mind, remnisciently brushing her thumb across the cotton cloth that covered her stomach, and sighed worriedly. I hope Lee retains his old self... I don’t want that day to happen again...

TO BE CONTINUED...